Head – Reward & Organisational Design

Aldar Education is currently seeking an inspirational Head – Rewards & Organisational Design. The Head – Rewards & Organisational Design will support the Group Head – Reward in the design, implementation, and management of competitive reward strategies. The role focuses on ensuring that compensation and benefits programs are aligned with company objectives, market trends, and are effective in attracting, retaining, and motivating top talent.

Aldar Education is the leading education group in Abu Dhabi, we provide inclusive and innovative learning that inspires and empowers communities, Aldar Education aims to be your employer of choice. We educate over 34,000 students across our group of owned and managed schools in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and as we grow so does our need for highly skilled, inspirational, and dedicated school leaders and employees across the group.

Working collaboratively, our purpose is to empower the next generation to shape our future, directly supporting the educational goals of Abu Dhabi’s government. Today, Aldar Education’s efforts are guided by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 plan, which aims to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy through premium education.

We are a “Great Place To Work” and currently employ over 1,400 teachers to deliver the English National Curriculum, the highly regarded American Massachusetts State Curriculum and the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme all with an international dimension.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the highly successful Aldar family of schools and to help shape the future of Abu Dhabi’s leading school group.

Main Duties

• Design and implement competitive compensation strategies that align with market trends and business goals.
• Ensure reward policies and structures are designed to attract, retain, and motivate employees effectively.
• Collaborate with senior management to design organizational structures that support the business strategy.
• Analyze and recommend organizational adjustments to optimize operational efficiency and workforce effectiveness.
• Conduct job evaluations and participate in salary benchmarking to maintain fair and competitive pay practices.
• Align reward strategies with performance management to ensure a pay-for-performance culture.
• Oversee the consistent application of compensation and organizational design policies and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
• Manage employee benefits programs, ensuring they are competitive and aligned with market trends.

Specific Duties

• Assist in the annual salary review process, providing insights and analysis to support senior leadership decision-making.
• Support the design and execution of incentive programs, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Monitor reward trends and best practices to continuously improve the company’s reward offerings.
• Conduct organization reviews and develop recommendations for optimal structure, reporting lines, and role clarity.
• Support business leaders in identifying organizational gaps and recommending design solutions to improve efficiency.
• Participate in strategic workforce planning and restructuring projects to ensure alignment with business needs.
• Carry out job evaluations and maintain job grading systems to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness.
• Lead benchmarking efforts, comparing salary data and benefits offerings to the market and industry standards.
• Provide input into performance management processes to ensure reward strategies are aligned with performance outcomes.
• Collaborate with HR Business Partners to integrate compensation, incentives, and recognition programs with performance reviews.
• Develop and maintain compensation and organizational design policies, ensuring adherence to local and international regulations.
• Ensure that all reward and organization design practices comply with relevant legal and internal guidelines.
• Oversee the administration of employee benefits programs such as health insurance, retirement plans, and wellness programs.
• Regularly review and enhance benefit offerings to ensure they meet the needs of the workforce while being cost-effective.
• Prepare reports on compensation trends, pay equity, and benefits cost analysis for senior management.
• Analyze organizational structures and performance data to recommend improvements in organization design.
• Act as a liaison between HR, business units, and external vendors on matters related to reward and organizational design.
• Support communication efforts to ensure employees understand changes in compensation, benefits, or organizational structure.
• Lead projects related to reward system upgrades, organizational design initiatives, and other HR-related improvement programs.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements in reward management and organizational design.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or a related field
• Formally trained in job evaluation and pay and benefits benchmarking
• Professional certifications (CIPD, CCP) would be advantageous.

Minimum Experience

• 5+ years of experience in compensation and benefits, reward management, or related HR functions.
• Experience with HRIS systems and compensation tools.
• Familiarity with job evaluation and salary benchmarking methodologies (e.g., Hay, Mercer).

Job Specific Knowledge & Skills

• Excellent English communication and presentation skills are essential
• Advanced Excel skills and the ability to replicate intermediate level formulas.
• Good level of business acumen with the understanding on how positions function relative to each other in each business unit and school and across the company.
• Must have outstanding organisational and analytic skills to drive implementation of initiatives and evaluate and report on results.
• Successful track record in helping build, implement, and sustain key reward management initiatives.
• Establish trust by maintaining a high level of credibility, integrity, confidentiality, and skilled communications with all levels of employees.
• Previous experience in working alongside external compensation/benefit consultants.
• General pro-active approach towards all reward programs.
• Provide strong organisational and project management skills to meet multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.
• Work in a highly collaborative and effective manner, both independently and in cross-functional teams.
• Serve as backup to other teammates. Assist with their workload or even substitute for them as appropriate.
• Strong research & analysis skills.
• Organized & capable of managing multiple complex projects in a rapidly changing, fast paced environment in conjunction with day-to-day activities.
• Possess flexibility and has a history of delivering results in a changing and highly ambiguous work environment.
• Proven experience and success working on high impact, cross-functional programs or projects, with a strong sense of urgency and commitment.
• Ability to roll up your sleeves and get things done through taking calculated risks and experimenting with new solutions.
• Commercially aware and able to act in the company’s best interests.
• Ability to build and maintain strong professional relationships across the business.
• Ability to communicate complex reward related issues and risks in terms that colleagues can understand.
• Strong analytics and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a highly autonomous role.

What We Offer

Aldar Education is a family of world-class, child centered, and innovative schools based in the UAE. We educate over 34,000 students across our group of owned and managed schools and as we grow so does our need for highly skilled, inspirational, and dedicated school leaders. We offer an attractive remuneration package including medical cover, flights, housing, and free child school places. Our future-focused learning model includes both students and staff so we place a special emphasis on professional development, coaching and training.

Successful candidates will have access to a wide network of professionals and opportunities to both lead and contribute to training others as well as developing themselves.

Aldar Education is keen to hear from like-minded, forward thinking school leaders who would welcome the challenges and opportunities that we have to offer.

This job description is not all inclusive. Aldar Education reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are also mindful of our national development strategy and encourage UAE Nationals in their application at our company.

Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.